Fires Deliberately Set In Two Motel Rooms On Airport Road Police

September 23, 1988|The Morning Call

Fires were deliberately set yesterday morning at two motel rooms of the City Airport Road Motel in Allentown, fire officials said.

According to Deputy Fire Chief Joseph P. D'Annibale, someone used burning paper to ignite curtains through unlocked windows of rooms 66 and 59 at the motel at 1117 N. Irving St. One of the rooms was occupied by John Powalski and Linda Nemeth, but no one was injured.

Allentown Detective Sgt. Carl Balliet said Powalski - who is temporarily living there with Nemeth - woke up, saw the fire and extinguished it before firefighters arrived at 4:55 a.m.

The fire in the unoccupied room was extinguished by some garbage collectors who were driving by the scene, Balliet said. Police are looking for the men who used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire, he said.

Police could not confirm if the arsons were related to the string of at least 14 incidents this month.

"At this point, I don't see any relation to the other arsons," said Balliet.

D'Annibale said no accelerants were used in the fires.

Ten city firefighters responded to the scene with three engines and anaerial.